In Apple TV+’s critically acclaimed show Severance, Tramell Tillman plays Mr. Milchick, the (mostly) ever-smiling enforcer of workplace boundaries at Lumon Industries, where employees’ memories are surgically severed between their work and personal lives. But there’s no severing Greenbelt from Tillman’s story. He’s a graduate of Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS) class of 2003, but not many know that this breakout star has his roots in Greenbelt.
With his commanding presence and unnerving charm on screen, the actor quickly became a fan favorite with critics and audiences alike, taking viewers by storm with his show-stopping performance in the finale of Severance’s second season.
“My journey to acting started in Maryland,” Tillman said in an interview with the newspaper amNewYork in 2022, describing how as a shy kid, his mother pushed him to perform in a Christmas play. That’s when the acting bug bit – and never left – but Tillman’s journey to viewer screens wasn’t a straightforward one. After graduating from ERHS, he initially pursued higher education at Xavier University of Louisiana, intending to become an
orthopedic surgeon, before transferring to Jackson State University and graduating with a communications degree. After working for a few years in education supporting children affected by Hurricane Katrina, Tillman decided to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Since 2014, Tillman has lived in New York City, balancing side jobs while booking roles on the stage and screen. Until now, Tillman’s name has been relatively unknown, but the cultural phenomenon that Severance has become is quickly changing things. Directed by Ben Stiller, the show is Apple TV+’s most popular ever, breaking streaming records and continuing to gain traction in the wake of the second season’s completion.
Viewers who are familiar with the show know how Tillman’s character of Mr. Milchick danced his way into our hearts in the first season. But in the second season’s finale, Tillman once again steals the screen, this time leading a full marching band down Lumon’s eerie, glowing hallways in one of the show’s most striking and surreal moments.
His captivating and memorable performance in that drum major role might be thanks to the fact that Tillman has had some experience on that front. During his time at ERHS, Tillman played the saxophone in the Raider Marching Band, an experience that truly makes his grand finale sequence a full-circle moment.
“When I learned he went to my high school, it was mind-blowing,” said Pritha Zaheen, a 2021 graduate of ERHS and current student at the University of Maryland. “I bet he was encouraged by the theater team here,” she said. “Our theater teachers and program were really supportive and nice, so I’m sure he had a good experience at Roosevelt.”
While his rise may have flown under the radar for some in Greenbelt, Tillman’s performance has sparked recognition and pride among those who now realize the connection. And as Severance continues to draw viewers in with its thought-provoking plot and stellar acting, Greenbelt can count one of television’s most intriguing stars among its own.
Diya Shah is a student at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism writing for the Greenbelt News Review.
